This week's all smalls team is a shout to guys who may have lacked size but not talent. Just because Longview is a 6A school, people assume that Longview is full of 6A type kids: not true. The school continues to win, even though some of the players may come up short on the ideal size of what typical 6A athletes look like.
QB: Carlin Freeman (2003, 2004, 2005)
Thrown into the fire as a sophomore, Freeman quarterbacked three of the most talented rosters Longview has produced. Standing at a strong 5'7, maybe 5'8, Freeman did an excellent job of running the triple option, while also excelling in the play action pass. Being short at the quarterback does have it's disadvantages to taller players, but Carlin Freeman played with tons of heart and grit to make up for lack of size. Freeman stands as the number 2 quarterback in total touchdowns thrown with 28, and had 7 rushing touchdowns for a career.
RBS: Keilyn Williams (2017) JaQuan Edwards (2016, 2017)
Keilyn has 1,125 yards off of 170 touches this season. He's scored 17 touchdowns on the ground while catching one and returning a kickoff for a touchdown. On top of all that, Keilyn is a legitimate 5'4 135 pounds. Pound for pound Keilyn is on of the best backs to have come through here and is a legitimate threat to score everytime he touches it.
Jaquan Edwards has been the counterpart to Williams this year and he too has some gaudy numbers for being 5'5. This season Edwards has rushed for 695 yards on 105 touches for 9 touchdowns, while also having a receiving touchdown. Edwards is pure speed and when he gets through a hole he's looking to score straight ahead.
FB: Mark Johnson (2005-2007)
At 5'7 175 lbs. Mark Johnson was as much of a monster as you could get at the fullback position. A two year starter, Mark juked and spun his way into the end zone from the fullback position in the "I" as well as the one back shotgun. With a career 15 touchdowns, Mark trails on Chris Ivory on the career rushing touchdowns for fullbacks.
WR: Justin Spady (2011, 2012) and Bubba Poole (2009, 2010)
At 5'7 Justin Spady was the team's leading receiver his senior year in 2012. After gaining respectable numbers as a junior, Spady had 30 catches as a senior for 451 yards and 4 touchdowns.
At 5'7 Bubba Poole played sparingly his junior year before becoming Longview's leading receiver his senior year. Bubba caught over 40 passes his senior year and found the end zone a couple of times for the Lobos.
TE: Daquavion Randall (2016, 17)
As far as tight ends go, Longview has been blessed to have plenty who have all had size. This year's second tight end, Quay Randall, at 5'10 may be the shortest of the players who have excelled at the position. He's scored a touchdown this season and has 8 catches for 126 yards this year. While those numbers aren't impressive, his running blocking is. Having Randall is like having another offensive tackle on the field. He's a run blocking dog, one I'm glad to have.
LT: Tevin Ratcliff (2008, 2009)
At 5'8 195 pounds Ratcliff was embarrassingly undersized, but that didn't stop him. He finished his senior year in 2009 as an honorable mention all stater, as well as starting 32 games during his career. With great speed and great power he was a big reason for the success during the 2008 and 09 playoff runs.
LG: Warren Lemmons (2011)
At 5'7 235 lbs. Warren Lemmons was definitely not the look you go for in offensive lineman. While speed and quickness were not assets, strength definitely was as Warren started 13 games for the Lobos, before they were defeated by Spring Dekaney.
C: Harrison "Hank" Torres (2009, 10)
Hank the Tank was 5'9 210 lbs. and started at center for 15 games during the 2010 season. He was a fireball of energy in the middle, and though he struggled at times, Hank was a guy that was going to give you his all on every single play.
RG: Donavon Webb (2011)
In 2011, Webb started 13 games at center and added to the trend of extremely short centers from Longview. The previous two were 5'8 (me) 5'9 (Torres) and at 5'6 250+ Webb. A state powerlifter his junior and senior years, Webb brought strength to the center position.
RT: Spencer Borens (2008-2010)
Here I go again finding another list to put my own name on, but oh well. 47 game starter, all district all East Texas, yada yada.... 5'8 225.... yeah next person
DE: TJ Norris (2004, 05) and Thomas Jones (2008-10)
Already stated as the best pound for pound defensive lineman to come through, the 5'9 215 lbs, TJ Norris was a handful for any lineman to deal with. All East Texas his senior year, Norris went on to Kilgore and New Mexico Highlands where he became an All American.
At 5'11 215 Thomas Jones turned in a year for the ages with a 16 sack performance his senior season being named first team all state. He was a constant pest for tackles and could bully or finesse his way to the quarterback.
DT: Phillip Rudd (2006) and Jalen Porter (2010-12)
Rudd stood at maybe 5'8 and weighed probably 195 lbs, but that didn't stop him from being a terror for centers. Rudd played the nose on the district champion 2006 squad and was truly a nuisance. He had speed to run down plays and brought enough pops to stone double teams.
Jalen Porter wasn't always a 6' 230 lbs linebacker. His sophomore year Porter weighed barely 200 and still found ways to become a part of an overachieving 2010 team that lost in the state semifinals. A 41 game starter in his career, Porter played and dominated on the defensive line, and became a monster his senior year. He's got a career full of highlights, starting with an 18 tackle performance his senior year followed by the game winning safety against DeSoto.
LB: DeMarkus Lathan (2010-12) and James Stephens (2001, 02)
Just in case you don't know where I stand on DeMarkus Lathan, let me list his credentials:
5'7 175 lbs.
Sophomore year over 100 tackles and an interception
Junior year 188 tackles FIRST TEAM ALL AMERICAN
Senior year 138 tackles 1st Team All State
#BALLER
James Stephens wrote the blueprint for how to get it done as a smaller linebacker. Boom is legend as the hardest hitter to play at Longview, and did it in one of the smallest bodies. At 5'8 185 Stephens tackled his way to a 2nd Team All State spot at linebacker in 2002.
CB: Addison McGee (2008 and 2009) and LaDarius Brooks (2008 and 2009)
The hood's favorite combination, Addy and Ping terrorized little league fields and in 2009 the two did the same thing. Addison McGee, a 2 year starter was a 2nd Team all stater and at 5'4 145 pounds (could squat 405 for 4 reps) McGee caught 7 interceptions. Brooks, 5'6 130 lbs, a one year starter, finished his senior strong with 45 tackles and 7 interceptions in 16 games.
SS: Jephaniah Lister (2016, 17)
The 5'7 165 pounder accumulated 91 tackles, 6 TFLS, 5 FF, I repeated 5 fumbles forced, 2 PBUs and one INT his sophomore season and his junior season he has 126 tackles through 14 games. The success of the Lobos will be whether or not he and the defense can continue to limit offenses through Saturday and hopefully next week.
FS: Corey Bartley (2011 and 2012)
The 5'6 155 pound free safety finished with 110 tackles, five tackles for losses, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, six passes broken up and two blocked punts, on his way to a 3rd team all state honor. He didn't disappoint in his senior year, making 1st team all state with 138 tackles. Bartley led Longview with seven interceptions, 21 pass breakups, and five kick blocks. He also forced one fumble, recovered one fumble, blocked one punt, and scored one defensive touchdown, all at the 5A level in 2012.
QB: Carlin Freeman (2003, 2004, 2005)
Thrown into the fire as a sophomore, Freeman quarterbacked three of the most talented rosters Longview has produced. Standing at a strong 5'7, maybe 5'8, Freeman did an excellent job of running the triple option, while also excelling in the play action pass. Being short at the quarterback does have it's disadvantages to taller players, but Carlin Freeman played with tons of heart and grit to make up for lack of size. Freeman stands as the number 2 quarterback in total touchdowns thrown with 28, and had 7 rushing touchdowns for a career.
RBS: Keilyn Williams (2017) JaQuan Edwards (2016, 2017)
Keilyn has 1,125 yards off of 170 touches this season. He's scored 17 touchdowns on the ground while catching one and returning a kickoff for a touchdown. On top of all that, Keilyn is a legitimate 5'4 135 pounds. Pound for pound Keilyn is on of the best backs to have come through here and is a legitimate threat to score everytime he touches it.
Jaquan Edwards has been the counterpart to Williams this year and he too has some gaudy numbers for being 5'5. This season Edwards has rushed for 695 yards on 105 touches for 9 touchdowns, while also having a receiving touchdown. Edwards is pure speed and when he gets through a hole he's looking to score straight ahead.
FB: Mark Johnson (2005-2007)
At 5'7 175 lbs. Mark Johnson was as much of a monster as you could get at the fullback position. A two year starter, Mark juked and spun his way into the end zone from the fullback position in the "I" as well as the one back shotgun. With a career 15 touchdowns, Mark trails on Chris Ivory on the career rushing touchdowns for fullbacks.
WR: Justin Spady (2011, 2012) and Bubba Poole (2009, 2010)
At 5'7 Justin Spady was the team's leading receiver his senior year in 2012. After gaining respectable numbers as a junior, Spady had 30 catches as a senior for 451 yards and 4 touchdowns.
At 5'7 Bubba Poole played sparingly his junior year before becoming Longview's leading receiver his senior year. Bubba caught over 40 passes his senior year and found the end zone a couple of times for the Lobos.
TE: Daquavion Randall (2016, 17)
As far as tight ends go, Longview has been blessed to have plenty who have all had size. This year's second tight end, Quay Randall, at 5'10 may be the shortest of the players who have excelled at the position. He's scored a touchdown this season and has 8 catches for 126 yards this year. While those numbers aren't impressive, his running blocking is. Having Randall is like having another offensive tackle on the field. He's a run blocking dog, one I'm glad to have.
LT: Tevin Ratcliff (2008, 2009)
At 5'8 195 pounds Ratcliff was embarrassingly undersized, but that didn't stop him. He finished his senior year in 2009 as an honorable mention all stater, as well as starting 32 games during his career. With great speed and great power he was a big reason for the success during the 2008 and 09 playoff runs.
LG: Warren Lemmons (2011)
At 5'7 235 lbs. Warren Lemmons was definitely not the look you go for in offensive lineman. While speed and quickness were not assets, strength definitely was as Warren started 13 games for the Lobos, before they were defeated by Spring Dekaney.
C: Harrison "Hank" Torres (2009, 10)
Hank the Tank was 5'9 210 lbs. and started at center for 15 games during the 2010 season. He was a fireball of energy in the middle, and though he struggled at times, Hank was a guy that was going to give you his all on every single play.
RG: Donavon Webb (2011)
RT: Spencer Borens (2008-2010)
Here I go again finding another list to put my own name on, but oh well. 47 game starter, all district all East Texas, yada yada.... 5'8 225.... yeah next person
DE: TJ Norris (2004, 05) and Thomas Jones (2008-10)
Already stated as the best pound for pound defensive lineman to come through, the 5'9 215 lbs, TJ Norris was a handful for any lineman to deal with. All East Texas his senior year, Norris went on to Kilgore and New Mexico Highlands where he became an All American.
At 5'11 215 Thomas Jones turned in a year for the ages with a 16 sack performance his senior season being named first team all state. He was a constant pest for tackles and could bully or finesse his way to the quarterback.
DT: Phillip Rudd (2006) and Jalen Porter (2010-12)
Rudd stood at maybe 5'8 and weighed probably 195 lbs, but that didn't stop him from being a terror for centers. Rudd played the nose on the district champion 2006 squad and was truly a nuisance. He had speed to run down plays and brought enough pops to stone double teams.
Jalen Porter wasn't always a 6' 230 lbs linebacker. His sophomore year Porter weighed barely 200 and still found ways to become a part of an overachieving 2010 team that lost in the state semifinals. A 41 game starter in his career, Porter played and dominated on the defensive line, and became a monster his senior year. He's got a career full of highlights, starting with an 18 tackle performance his senior year followed by the game winning safety against DeSoto.
LB: DeMarkus Lathan (2010-12) and James Stephens (2001, 02)
Just in case you don't know where I stand on DeMarkus Lathan, let me list his credentials:
5'7 175 lbs.
Sophomore year over 100 tackles and an interception
Junior year 188 tackles FIRST TEAM ALL AMERICAN
Senior year 138 tackles 1st Team All State
#BALLER
James Stephens wrote the blueprint for how to get it done as a smaller linebacker. Boom is legend as the hardest hitter to play at Longview, and did it in one of the smallest bodies. At 5'8 185 Stephens tackled his way to a 2nd Team All State spot at linebacker in 2002.
CB: Addison McGee (2008 and 2009) and LaDarius Brooks (2008 and 2009)
The hood's favorite combination, Addy and Ping terrorized little league fields and in 2009 the two did the same thing. Addison McGee, a 2 year starter was a 2nd Team all stater and at 5'4 145 pounds (could squat 405 for 4 reps) McGee caught 7 interceptions. Brooks, 5'6 130 lbs, a one year starter, finished his senior strong with 45 tackles and 7 interceptions in 16 games.
SS: Jephaniah Lister (2016, 17)
The 5'7 165 pounder accumulated 91 tackles, 6 TFLS, 5 FF, I repeated 5 fumbles forced, 2 PBUs and one INT his sophomore season and his junior season he has 126 tackles through 14 games. The success of the Lobos will be whether or not he and the defense can continue to limit offenses through Saturday and hopefully next week.
FS: Corey Bartley (2011 and 2012)
The 5'6 155 pound free safety finished with 110 tackles, five tackles for losses, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, six passes broken up and two blocked punts, on his way to a 3rd team all state honor. He didn't disappoint in his senior year, making 1st team all state with 138 tackles. Bartley led Longview with seven interceptions, 21 pass breakups, and five kick blocks. He also forced one fumble, recovered one fumble, blocked one punt, and scored one defensive touchdown, all at the 5A level in 2012.
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